Changelog

v3.16.2 -> v3.18.4

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🚀 New Features

New Takeoff Mode: "All in One Platform"

• Introduced a new takeoff mode for IOStar3.

Mesh Image & Mesh Text Enhancements

• Easily create 2D drone formations using:

  • Images → Convert any image into a drone shape.

  • Fonts & Text → Generate formations based on text.

Auto Takeoff Button

• Automatically generates a grid and launches all drones.

• Ensures proper speed & security distance in a single click.

Safe Delete Protection

• Prevents accidental drone deletions when pressing X or DEL.

• Drones can still be removed via right-click or the collection tab.

🔄 Changes & Improvements

Return to Launch (RTL) Algorithm Update

• Improved drone behavior for smoother landings.

Initialization Parameter Lock

• Parameters can no longer be modified after show initialization.

RTL Behavior Enhancements

• Further refinements for drone movements and positioning.

Blender Compatibility

• LightShow Creator is now working with the latest Blender version. (4.3.2 LTS)

Update Brightness Factor

• Replace factor multiplication with a percentage for better understanding.

v3.15.0 -> v3.16.2

New

• Apply brightness Factor

  • The 'Apply brightness factor' can modify the brightness of selected drones using a multiplying factor.

  • Current drone individual brightness will be multiplied by the given factor (increasing brightness if factor > 1, reduce it if factor < 1)

Changes

• Fix bug where drones were moving after landing

• Reset RTL start frame when landing to avoid increasing frame

• Fix duplicated points in family grids

• Remove RTL correction when checking takeoff

• Switch off the LEDs during the land and not during the RTL sorting

• Fix export bug occuring after Drone Grid removal

v3.11.0 -> v3.15.0

The Lightshow Creator is now compatible with Blender 4.x versions

The Lightshow Creator minimal supported version is now Blender 3.6

New

• Automatic RTL

  • The automatic RTL replaces all drones on their original takeoff positions

  • The RTL time can vary depending on the parameters used and the number of crossing trajectories.

Automatic RTL

• Add Family Grids

  • You can now create the family grids automatically.

  • It can be use to easily land the drones by using a normal Go to target.

Family Grids

• Color effect

  • You can now control colors with Geometry Nodes

  • This is similar to Magic color but much more flexible

• Live color (Beta)

  • With the GCS Beta version 2.7.0, you can control drone color from Blender (currently limited to 3 color channels).

Live color

Changes

• Fix VVIZ support for FWsim

• Fix magic color LED registering to match the preview.

v3.5.3 -> v3.11.0

New

• VVIZ export to add pyrotechnic effects to your show with FWsim or Finale 3D
• Experimental - Add option to RTL at the end of shows

• Add option to scale the show to increase the maximum range up to 4x

• Experimental - Add follow path

Changes

• Drop retro-compatibility with .blend files created with version 3.5.2 and lower

  • You can use version 3.5.3 to convert your old files

• Improve Go to target workflow

  • New transition algorithm proved collision-free if minimum distance between anchors is respected

  • Add the number of selected drones and targets below Go to target
• Improve Add anchors workflow

  • Do not resize automatically the mesh or Bézier curves after adding anchors

  • The minimal distance between anchors does not limit scaling the object

  • Warn if the minimal distance between anchors will or could cause a collision during transitions

  • Automatically merge double vertices on mesh when adding anchors

• Initialize by default the timeline in seconds instead of frames

• Rename Set interpolation by Change interpolation

• Set alpha to 0 by default for added emission material

• Minimal supported Python version is now 3.10 (previously 3.8).

• Improve check error messages to include total of infractions and the number of drones concerned

v3.5.2 -> v3.5.3

Fix

• Use the selected keyframe type for Go to targets

• Fix #set-the-minimum-distance-between-anchors errors in the console

Performance

• Rework RGBW Emission material to avoid FPS performance regression in some case. Remove White visualization in Material Preview.

v3.5.1 -> v3.5.2

New

• The automatic creation of markers can be enabled or disabled for each type of action. Before After

Fix

• Register LED is improved for linear and bezier interpolation. Before (Linear / Bezier) After (Linear / Bezier)

Performance

• #set-the-minimum-distance-between-anchors is 384x faster. Blender was slowing down with objects with many anchors.

v3.2.2 -> v3.5.1

It is highly recommended to read again the documentation to not miss new information.

New

General

• All buttons and properties are documented in Blender inside tooltips.

• Add units to properties.

• The panels are reorganized and have the same arborescence as this documentation.

• Hide/Show options automatically depending on the context.

• Blender 3.6 should be preferred

• Markers are added automatically for batched actions like (Takeoff, Land, Go to target, …)

Performance

• Progress bars have been added in the system console to follow the progression of long tasks

• The collision check is much faster

• The export is also faster

• Increase FPS when playing the show

JSON show file

• Change the binary format

  • The binary format is now more compact

  • The exported color events can now either be a constant or a linear interpolation.

• Change name convention

  • .json is automatically added to the filename during export, no need to add it manually

  • The date and time are added automatically to the exported file

• Add metadata to the generated files

  • The Blender version

  • The Lightshow Creator and Loader version

  • The physical parameters (minimal distance, and maximum speed profile)

• The JSON show range file generated with Import & Export range are different from JSON show file and can only be used in Blender with Import range.

Conversion

• Old shows generated with previous versions can be converted to this new version.

• The converted show should be checked (show parameters, import back after exporting the converted show, …)

Initialize the show

• Drone repartition

  • Improve the mechanism to choose the placement of drones

  • Add an interactive visualization of the placement of the drones

  • Drone are now placed next to each other in the same family

• Purge scene has been removed

• Prepare the scene has been added to set up the show on a new file

• Add keyframe type selection for the different keyframes (Takeoff, Land, Go to target, Set color, Magic color, Fire)

Takeoff & Land

• Integrate Angle takeoff in Initialize show

Formation

• Mesh

  • Remove Scale mesh by making Min distance interactive

• Transition

  • Add staggered transitions

  • Add swap tools to fix collisions

  • Replace the checkboxes with named switches

  • Cannot use Go to target before taking off

Color

• Materials

  • Use only one material instead of two (increase FPS)

  • Change drones and effectors materials to visualize the white channel

• Set color

  • Add Bezier interpolation

  • Add Set interpolation

  • Add Pick color

  • Add Swap color

  • Add Remove white

• Magic color

  • Apply effectors only on visible drones (hidden drones will be ignored)

  • Add Interpolation between registered keyframes

  • Update effector is applied immediately (no need to change the frame)

• Color Settings

  • Add Emission strength

  • Add RGB / White ratio

  • Add support for Solid shader viewing mode

Check

• Use recommended show parameters by default (minimal distance and speed profile settings)

• Add Min distance for the collision check

• Add Check takeoff

• Add Check autopilot format

• Failed checks will select the faulty drones and move to the first infraction frame if applicable

Import & Export

• Export

  • Make Export angle interactive

  • If all checks pass the export should be successful

  • Fix increasing infraction errors during the export

• Import

  • Can only use Import from a new file

  • If the export is successful the import should not produce errors

Import & Export range

• Can export part of a show to reuse in other show